Traffic-signaling device



J. SELLIGMAN. TRAFFIC SIGNALING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, I920.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

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WITNESSES ATTORNEYS J. SELLIGMAN. TRAFFIC SIGNALING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1920.

1,355,361 Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

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WITNESSES ,4 TTORNEYS 1'. SELLIG MAN. TRAFFIC SIGNALING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1920.

1,355,361 Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

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A TTORNEYS PATENT .FFICE.

J'OSE PH SELLIGMAN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TRAFFIC-SIGNALING DEVICE.

Application filed June 17, 1920.

/ Traffic-Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an lmprovement in trafiic signaling devices, and has for its object toprovide a device of the character specified especially adapted for use in mines for controlling the traffic at street intersections, wherein the signal is supported by overhead means, permitting the usual standard to be dispensed with, and wherein it may be operated from the street, so that it is not necessary to remove the signal when the rush hours are passed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device in use,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the signal,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the signal casing,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the clutch parts separated,

Fig. 6 is asimilar View of the operating pawl or counter-weighted arm,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the counterweight detached,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bolt,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the ribs,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side view of a modified form of controlling mechanism for the signal. I

In the present embodiment of the invention, a suitable casing is provided comprising a body 1 of sheet metal forinstance, having in its opposite faces cut-outs 2, forming letters which form legends as for 1nstance Stop and Go. Sheets of glass or the like indicated at 3 are arranged on the inner faces of the side walls of the casing, the said sheets being white or frosted, and the sides of the box are suitably colored, as for instance red, at the legend Stop and green at the legend Go. These sheets rest on the casing bottom, and are held in place by clips 4 secured to the side walls.

The top of the casing at its center has an outlet nipple 5 for the heated gases, and a hood 6 is arranged above the outlet, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 001]. 12, 1920.

Serial No. 389,685.

hood being supported by a shaft 7 which passes axially of thecasing. This shaft 7 is hollow as shown, and there'is provided a sleeve 8 capable of turning and also sliding on the shaft at the opening through the bottom of the casing for the shaft, and this sleeve has a-flange 9 which is secured to the bottom by means-of bolts or the like, as shown.

' A second sleeve or: collar 10 is secured to the shaft near the top of the casing, and the said sleeve or collar carries a frame 11 which supports electric lighting sockets 12 for providing illumination within the easmg.

The sleeve '8 is movable vertically onthe shaft, and the lower end of the said sleeve has a series of notches 13 which are spaced apart from each other at angular intervals of 90. One wall of each notch is higher than the other, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and an incline 14 leads from the low wall of each notch to the high wall of the succeeding notch.

These teeth and inclines are one section of a clutch, the other section being formed by a collar 15 whichis secured to the shaft 7, and which has teeth 16 for engaging the notches 13, and inclines 17 fitting the inclines 14. When the two sections of the clutch are in contact, the teeth are in engagement, withthe notches and the inclines 7 fit the inclines 14.

The underface of the flange 9 has a series of ribs 18, each of'which extends substantially radial with respect to the flange, and the said ribs are angular, each consisting of a portion which is radial to the shaft, and a portion which is inclined with respect thereto.

A lever 19 is pivoted to the shaft below the collar 15, and this lever normally occupies the inclined position shown in Fig. 2. The lever is pivoted intermediate its ends, and on the lower end of the lever there is mounted a counterweight 20 which is adjustably held on the lever by means of a set screw. 21, the set screw being threaded through a bearing which is slidable on the lever.

The other end of the lever is bent angularly as shown in Fig. 2, and has connected therewith a rod 22 which is provided at its lower end with a ring as shown, for en gagement by a hook on the end of a staif 23, which may be grasped by the traffic officer as shown in Fig. 1 and engaged with the ring to operate the lever.

The lever has a lateral lug 241 at its pivotal connection, the said lug extending upward, and to this lug is pivoted a pawl arm or lever 25. The said lever is forked at one end, and a roller 26 is journaled between the arms of the fork, the said roller being adapted to engage flange 9 and then the ribs 18' on the flange 9. The other end of the lever is counterweight-ed as shown, and referring to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the lever is angular, the portion bearing the roller extending at an obtuse angle to the portion carrying the counterweight.

When the lever is swung by means of the staff 23, the arm or lever 25 will be swung upwardly, and the roller 26 will engage the flange 9. F urther swinging of the lever will cause the end of the pawl armhaving the counterweight, to engage the lever 19, and continued movement of the lever 19 will zliftthe casing 1 upwardly on the shaft 7. I

As the lever is swung still farther, the casing being now released from the shaft through the lifting of the same, will be moved angularly, to move one set of legends from display position, and to move the other set into display position. The shaft 7 may be suspended in any suitable manner, as for instance by trolley wires as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

.lVith this arrangement a cross is connected with the top of the shaft 7, the arms 27 of the cross having at their outer 'ends means indicated at 28 and of any desired construction for connecting them to the trolley wires, indicated at 29, and these connecting means 28 are insulated from the cross arms. Thus the shaft .7 is supported at the street intersection at the center of the rectangle formed by the crossing wires.

The signal may be'operated from a distance if desired. With this arrangement, the signal indicated generally at 30, and which corresponds in all respects to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is similarly supported, is operated by a flexible member 31. This flexible member passes from the lever downwardly beneath the pulley 32 supported by a bracket 33 at the lower end of the hollow shaft. The flexible member then passes upwardly through the hollow shaft, and over a pulley 34supported by one of the arms of the cross 35 to the place from which it is desired to operate the signal, being guided and directed by the pulleys if desired.

The pulley 34 is journaled'in the bracket 35 which is supported by one of the arms of the cross. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen'that the bottom of the casing 1 is of openwork construction to provide for a free circulation of air which enters through the open work bottom and passes, out through the nipple 5. The cone-shaped shield 6 prevents the entrance of water to the casing. The open work construction also permits the light to be reflected downward onto the tra fic officer operating the device, where the same is operated from a position below the signaling device. Preferably the inside of the casing is painted or enameled in white to intensify its reflecting action.

In operation, the device maybe arranged as shown in Fig. 1, to be operated from directly beneath, or it may be arranged as shown in Fig. 10, to be operated at a distance; In the first case, the traffic officer will engage the staff with the ring on the element 22." When he desires to change the direction of movement of the traffic, he will pull downon the staff, which will swing the lever 19, lifting the casing, and giving the same a quarter turn. This movement will place the Stop and Go signs at right angles to the position they formerly occupied.

The teeth 16 and the notches 13 provide a positive lock for the casing when it has been turned a quarter turn. The interengagement of the teeth and notches also provides stopsfor limiting the movement of the parts. In Fig. 8 is shown the bolt which connects the lever 19 to the shaft. This bolt 36 has a plane portion 37 adjacent to the head on which the lever swings. In Fig. 9 is shown one of the ribs 18. This rib as shown, has a threaded stem 33 which engages the flange, and it has an opening 39 at the opposite end for receiving a rivet or the like to connect the said end.

I claim 1. A device of the character specified, comprising a shaft having means at its upper end for connection with an overhead support, and having at its lower end a col-, lar secured thereto, a casing of rectangular cross section'having indications on its faces, and movable vertically and rotatable on the shaft, interengaging means between the casing and the collar for positively locking the casing against turning movement, and -re leased by the. lifting of the casing on the shaft, and a common means for lifting the casing and moving the same angularly,said means comprising a lever having a pawl arm pivoted thereto for engaging the casing, and counterweighted to normally stand in inoperative position, and a link connected with the lever and having a ring.

2. A device of the character specified, comprising a shaft having means at its upper end for connection with an overhead support, and having at its lower end acol lar secured thereto, a casing of rectangular cross section having indications on its faces,

and movable vertically and rotatable on the shaft, inter-engaging means between the casing and the collar for positively locking the casing against turning movement, and released by the lifting of the casing on the shaft, and a common means for lifting the casing and moving the same angularly.

3. A device of the character specified, comprising a shaft having means at its upper end for engaging an overhead support, a casing movable vertically on the shaft and rotatable thereon, and a common means for lifting the casing and rotating the same a quarter turn and operable from beneath the casing, said shaft and easing having int-arengaging means released by the lifting of the casing for locking the casing against turning movement, the lifting means comprising a lever pivoted to the shaft and counterweighted to normally stand in inclined position, a link connected with the upper end of the lever and having a ring for engagement by operating means, and means in connection with the lever for engaging and lifting the casing and turning the same.

4c. A device of the character specified, comprising a shaft having means at its upper end for engaging an overhead support, a casing movable vertically on the shaft and rotatable thereon, and a common means for lifting the casing and rotating the same a quarter turn and operable from beneath the casing, said shaft and casing having interengaging means released by the lifting of the casing for locking the casing against turning movement. 7

5. A device of the character specified comprising a shaft having means at its upper end for engaging an overhead support, a casing movable vertically on the shaft and rotatable thereon, and a common means for lifting the casing and rotating the same a quarter turn and operable from beneath the casing.

6. A device of the character specified, comprising a signal casing, a shaft on which the casing is mounted to rotate and to move vertically, means at the upper end of the shaft for connecting the same to an overhead support, and a common means for lifting the casing and moving it angularly to display the signals carried by the casing in succession, and clutch mechanism between the shaft and the casing for preventing rotation of thecasing and controlled by the liftin of the casing to inoperative position.

7 A device of the character specified, comprising a signal casing, a shaft on which the casing is mounted to rotate and to move vertically, means at the upper end of the shaft for connecting the same to an overhead support, and a common means for lifting the casing and moving it angularly to display the signals carried by the casing in succession.

8. A device of the character specified, comprising an interiorly illuminated signal casing said casing having an open work bottom and adapted to reflect the light downwardly, and provided, with means for suspending said casing above the roadway from overhead trolley wires, and a common means carried by the casing for lifting it and rotating it angularly to display the signals carried by the casing, in succession.

9. A device of the character specified, comprising an interiorly illuminated signal casing, said casing consistin of a rectangular box having the legends o and Stop in its opposite vertical walls, said casing having an open work bottom and illuminating means carried Within the casing, a pendent shaft on which said open work bottom is slidably and rotatably mounted, clutch means for cooperatively coupling the casing with the said shaft and permitting its relative rotation on the shaft, and common means carried by said clutch means for lifting the casing and rotating it angularly to display the aforesaid legends, in succession.

10. A device of the character specified comprising a pendent shaft, a casing movable vertically on said shaft and rotatable thereon, and a common means for lifting the casing and rotating the same a quarter turn.

11. A device of the character specified comprising a signal casing having an open work bottom, a pendent shaft on which the casing is mounted to rotate and to move vertically, a gas escape thimble in the roof of said casing and surrounding said shaft, a moisture shedding hood mounted on said shaft and extending over and beyond said gas-escape thimble, and a common means for lifting the casing and rotating the same angularly to display the signals carried by the casing in succession.

JOSEPH SELLIGMAN. 

